The Brighton Trunk Murders, two unrelated crimes in 1934, cast a dark shadow over Brighton, England, earning the city the grim moniker “The Queen of Slaughtering Places,” a stark contrast to its usual title, “The Queen of Watering Places.” These gruesome discoveries of dismembered bodies concealed in trunks exposed the city’s underbelly of gang activity and prostitution, later immortalized in Graham Greene’s 1938 novel, Brighton Rock.
The Unsolved Mystery of the “Girl with the Pretty Feet”
The first Brighton Trunk Murder unfolded on June 17, 1934, when a pungent odor emanating from an unclaimed plywood trunk at Brighton railway station caught the attention of William Joseph Vinnicombe. Inside, Chief Inspector Ronald Donaldson discovered the dismembered torso of a woman. A subsequent search revealed a suitcase containing her legs at King’s Cross railway station. Tragically, her head and arms remained elusive. The press, captivated by the well-preserved state of her feet, dubbed her “The Girl with the Pretty Feet” or simply “Pretty Feet.”
Sir Bernard Spilsbury’s post-mortem examination revealed that the victim was approximately 25 years old and five months pregnant. Despite extensive investigations, her identity and that of her murderer remain shrouded in mystery. Local speculation suggested a botched backstreet abortion. Dr. Edward Massiah, an abortionist from Hove, was questioned but never formally charged, possibly to avoid scandalizing his clientele.
Chief Inspector Donaldson suspected Massiah based on circumstantial evidence and Spilsbury’s findings, which noted the victim’s age, height, weight, pregnancy, and the absence of a definitive cause of death. Donaldson initiated covert surveillance of Massiah, but the investigation was abruptly halted by higher authorities after a junior officer had a disturbing encounter with the doctor. Massiah later relocated to London, where another woman died during an abortion procedure he performed. Despite these incidents, he evaded prosecution and remained on the General Medical Register until his retirement and subsequent failure to re-register in 1952.
The Case of Violet Kaye and Tony Mancini
While unrelated to the first case, the discovery of “Pretty Feet” spurred investigations that unearthed the second trunk murder. The victim was 42-year-old Violet Kaye (née Watts, also known as Saunders), a dancer and prostitute struggling with addiction. She lived with Tony Mancini (real name Cecil Lois England), a petty criminal with a history of theft and loitering, who worked as a waiter and bouncer. He was also known by various aliases, including Jack Noytre, Tony English, and Hyman Gold.
Their relationship was volatile. A public argument erupted at the Skylark café, where Mancini worked, after a visibly intoxicated Kaye accused him of flirting with a teenage waitress, Elizabeth Attrell. After this incident on May 10, 1934, Kaye vanished. Mancini fabricated a story about her leaving for Paris, distributing some of her belongings to Attrell and sending a telegram to Kaye’s sister claiming she’d found work abroad.
In reality, Kaye was dead. Mancini had placed her body in a trunk, which he transported to his new lodgings at 52 Kemp Street. He placed the trunk at the foot of his bed, disguising it with a cloth and using it as a coffee table, seemingly oblivious to the escalating odor and leaking fluids.
Police, investigating Kaye’s disappearance in connection with the first trunk murder, searched properties near the station. They stumbled upon Kaye’s remains in Mancini’s lodgings, leading to his arrest in South East London. Sir Bernard Spilsbury conducted the post-mortem.
The Mancini Trial: A Notorious Acquittal
Mancini’s trial commenced in December 1934 at Lewes and spanned five days. The prosecution, led by J.C. Cassells and including a young Quintin Hogg (later Lord Hailsham), focused on Kaye’s death from a blow to the head. A handwriting expert linked Mancini to the telegram sent to Kaye’s sister. Witness Doris Saville testified that Mancini had solicited a false alibi. Other witnesses claimed Mancini had boasted about violently assaulting Kaye.
Norman Birkett, Mancini’s defense counsel, strategically emphasized Kaye’s profession and character. Mancini claimed he had discovered Kaye’s body at their flat and, fearing police disbelief due to his criminal record, hid her remains. Birkett suggested Kaye could have been murdered by a client or died accidentally.
The defense challenged the forensic evidence, questioning the morphine levels in Kaye’s blood and demonstrating that bloodstained clothing had been purchased after her death. Witnesses testified to the couple’s seemingly happy relationship. After deliberating for over two hours, the jury acquitted Mancini.
A Belated Confession
In 1976, shortly before his death, Mancini confessed to the murder in an interview with the News of the World. He claimed that during a heated argument, Kaye had attacked him with a hammer. He wrestled it away, and when she demanded its return, he threw it at her, striking her temple. This confession tragically vindicated Spilsbury’s initial findings but came decades too late to bring justice.
The 1831 Brighton Trunk Murder and Artistic Interpretations
The notoriety of the 1934 cases revived interest in an earlier Brighton trunk murder. In 1831, John Holloway murdered his wife, Celia, and transported her body in a trunk to Lover’s Walk in Preston Park, where he buried her remains. He was subsequently apprehended, tried, and hanged in Lewes.
The Brighton trunk murders also inspired the play Trunks by Stephen Plaice, which explores Mancini’s relationship with Kaye and the circumstances surrounding her death. The play also delves into the unsolved mystery of “Pretty Feet,” weaving together both cases in a dramatic retelling of these chilling events.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Intrigue and Unresolved Questions
The Brighton Trunk Murders remain a haunting chapter in Brighton’s history. While Mancini’s confession ultimately resolved one case, the mystery surrounding “Pretty Feet” continues to linger. These crimes, forever etched in the city’s annals, serve as a somber reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of any community. The cases also highlight the importance of forensic science and the complexities of criminal investigations, leaving us to ponder the unanswered questions and the enduring fascination with these unsolved mysteries.
